Light and Shadow
by zammmie4eva
Summary: You arrive in Asgard to study at the Royal Academy for Young Maidens, a Princess of a foreign realm, with a dark secret on your shoulders. You certainly never expected to catch the eye of Loki, second prince of Asgard, much less the God of Thunder himself, Prince Thor. This will put a strain on your studies, that's for sure. Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

You sighed as she walked behind the Royal Carriage, head held low, covered by your crimson hood. Your older brother walked beside you, head held high and back straight, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he walked confidently after the carriage holding your king father and his new queen.

"Stop sighing Nia!" Val snapped. "At least smile for five minutes, do you want to shame father?"

You glanced up at your brother, and stretched your lips into a weak smile.

"You must be able to do better than that." Val reproached.

You stretched your smile wider, and her brother nodded in satisfaction. You turned your head back to the front of the procession, keeping your fake smile in place. You were not happy. Not happy at all. It was a wonder you could even muster up the will to follow her brother's instructions.

Your mother had died not seven days before, and then you are informed your father is sending you away to Asgard for finishing school. Your family had received an invitation to the Royal Academy for Young Maidens from Queen Frigga herself, and there was no way you could decline such a request, even if you wished to.

Despite this swift and sudden change, you were expected to not show any sadness. A Princess, your father said, was a beauty worthy of the Gods' envy, and should never frown. Not that he thought of you as a beauty, but it was the principle that counted. Princesses were to be seen, not heard, and as such what one should always see was radiant happiness and grace from a Princess, and nothing more. It was a lesson you had learnt well over the years, so much so that it was hard to feel anything anymore.

You hadn't even cried when your mother had died, fearful of what your father would do to you if you shed tears in his presence.

The royal procession stopped, and your kingly father and his wife left the carriage to ascend the golden stairs to the palace of Asgard. You and Val followed behind, and you wished more than ever that your twin sister Lia was here with you. Lia hadn't been able to come home for the funeral, she was busy tending to her new kingdom, having just recently been married off to the Prince of Vanaheim.

"Your smile is lacking sister of mine." Val muttered icily to you. "Fix it at once."

The sad thoughts were beginning to show on your face, and you were quick to widen your smile once again as you both approached the end of the stairs, greeted by the All-Mother herself. The foreign royal family bowed to the All-Mother as she welcomed you all.

"King Hal of Panaheim, I welcome you and your family to our humble kingdom. Please be welcome among us." Frigga smiled.

"Your graciousness is almost as great as your beauty my queen," your father bowed low as he spoke, despite the fact that he was lying through his teeth. "We are honoured to be among the royal family of Asgard."

"The honour is ours. I understand condolescnes are to be given for the recent death of your dear wife, and also congratulations on your new marriage King Hal." Frigga said.

"Indeed, the blow to our family and our kingdom has been great, but I am confident my Queen Isil will be able to fill the void left by my previous wife." King Hal replied.

"I endeavour to be as kind and gracious a Queen as you my lady," Isil smiled, curtsying to the All-Mother.

"You are too kind Queen Isil. And these are your children King Hal?"

"Yes. May I introduce my firstborn, my son Val, Crown Prince of Pannaheim."

Val stepped forward, bowing graciously before the queen.

"I am greatly honoured to be in your presence All-Mother. Long may you and King Odin reign." He said.

"A pleasure Prince Val." Frigga smiled. "And this young lady is your daughter?"

"Ah, yes. Nia." Hal sniffed.

Looking nervously to your father, you stepped forward and curtsied to the queen.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Queen Frigga. Your realm is so beautiful, I've never seen anything like it." you said quietly.

"I am sure your realm holds beauties that are not found even here my young princess." Frigga said warmly.

"Do speak up when you address the All-Mother girl." Hal said stiffly, looking down at you. "You must forgive her your Majesty, the girl has not been quite right since the death of her mother."

"Not that she ever was quite right in the first place." Val muttered.

Frigga shot Val a disapproving look, but it went unnoticed as she smiled back at King Hal.

"It is of no consequence. It is understandable given the circumstances, I am sure she will recover from her grief in due time. My husband wishes me to tell you, that you and yours are welcome in all areas of our palace except the court room if he is in court. We would be delighted to have you join us for the evening meal, in the meantime my handmaidens will see you to your rooms."

A kind-looking maid gestured to you, and you followed her down a hallway in the opposite direction of your family, for which you were grateful. On your journeys you noticed the vast stained-glass windows lining the marble hall, filled with stories of Asgardian history. You stared in wonder.

"That was the first thing I noticed when I arrived in Asgard too."

You turned you head to see Queen Frigga had joined you. You smiled slightly.

"Now that we are away from the rest of your family, perhaps we could have a proper introduction my dear? You will after all, be living here for a while, it is only right we should be well acquainted." Frigga said.

"I am afraid I am no one special Your Majesty." You replied.

"That remains to be seen my dear," Frigga smiled. "I hope you will enjoy your time here, please think of the palace as your own."

"Thank you All-Mother, that is generous of you. I have no doubt I will love your fair realm, it is as grand as I have read." You answered.

"You like to read child?"

"We have a rather small library in the palace at Pannaheim, but it is where I like to spend the majority of my time. I love to learn new things, I can only imagine what lessons lie in Asgard." You said, feeling very much at ease around Queen Frigga.

"The pursuit of knowledge is worthy goal." Frigga nodded. "Is there a particular field of study that fills your passions?"

You pursed your lips in thought.

"History is a great passion of mine." You said. "As is the theory of healing magic."

"Only the theory? You do not practise the healing arts?" Frigga asked.

"Women are not permitted to be Healers on Pannaheim Your Highness." You explained. "I am technically not supposed to even learn of the theory, but I have been fascinated by the art ever since I was small."

"I see. Well here on Asgard, women may study anything they wish. If healing magic is what you wish to learn, I will see that our head Healer Eir personally takes you under her wing while you are here as part of your studies."

You gaped in astonishment. "Oh Your Highness, thank you! That is such a generous gift!" you cried. "I will learn as much as I can while I am on Asgard."

"And glad I am to hear it." Frigga smiled. "Ah, here are your chambers for your stay. Make yourself at home young princess, and do not hesitate to call on me should you need something."

"Thank you All-Mother," you curtsied as you entered your new chambers. "I look forward to spending the evening meal with you."

"And I you child. Until later,"

You nodded to the Queen, and turned to inspect your rooms. They were very grand, like everything was in Asgard you were noticing. At home you had a lofty room in the east tower of the castle; nothing big or grand, but it was enough. This room – rooms rather, there were three in total, you discovered as you explored – were bigger than anything you had had before. There was a huge washroom with a large marble bath in the centre, a study with a beautiful oak desk and several large bookshelves, empty of books at present, and finally your bed chambers, with a beautiful four-poster bed and a large walk-in closet, filled to the brim with beautiful Asgardian gowns.

At once you went to the study to search for a piece of parchment to write on. You found some in a drawer, as well as a quill and an inkwell. You wrote a note to your sister, telling her how wonderful Asgard was, and signing it with a sending rune before using your seidr to set the paper on fire. The fire message would be delivered to your sister immediately, and you hoped she had time to reply before you had to attend the evening meal.

You decided to explore the palace before dinner. The golden halls made you feel at peace, knowing you could see and hear your brother coming from a mile away, you felt safe in the absence of your family as you wandered through the vast palace.

You hadn't been wandered long, when suddenly, as you rounded a corner, you were slammed into by something large and heavy, and fell backwards onto the ground, the object falling down on top of you. You opened dazed eyes to see a pair of green eyes staring back at you. A person had run you over. Your eyes widened in shock.

" _Norns_! I am so sorry my lady I did not see you there." The person was quick to leap to his feet, and in turn hold out a hand to help you up.

You took the offered hand and got to your feet shakily. The green-eyed man looked at you in concern.

"Are you quite alright my lady? Nothing is broken or bruised?"

"I…I think I'm alright." You said dazedly, looking over yourself.

"I apologise deeply, I was not paying attention to my surroundings." The man said.

"Oh, no that is quite alright. Nothing is broken, no harm done." You smiled.

"You are as kind as you are beautiful my lady," the man smiled back.

"If you say so, my lord…?"

The man blinked. "You do not know me?"

"I confess I do not, we have never met." You replied.

The man opened his mouth to introduce himself, but was interrupted by a booming voice from down the hall. The noise made you jump in fright, the booming sound threatening in the distance.

"Forgive me my lady, but I fear I must ask to take advantage of you once more." The man said. "I must hide from the coming brute lest I lose my life, will you help me make my escape?"

"What did you do?" you asked wide-eyed.

The booming voice came again, and the man smirked slightly.

"I just played a little trick on the future king of Asgard." He replied.

You gaped. Your father would be furious if he found out you helped a scoundrel responsible for angering the crown prince of Asgard. But something in you wanted to offer your assistance to the dark-haired man. There was…something about him that intrigued you.

"What would you require from me?" you inquired.

"From you my lady, simply a small distraction." He answered.

The booming was getting closer now, and the man looked behind him worriedly. He looked back at you.

"Will you help me?"

"I…yes. I will."

"Excellent. Now take my hand, and do not give me away." The man took your hand and suddenly a dizzying feeling washed over you, and when you next looked around, you were standing in a garden instead of the hallway.

A flower fell from the tree above you, and as you caught it in her hand, you looked up to see the dark-haired man perched on a branch, effectively hidden from all angles but where you stood. As you footsteps of the booming man approaching the garden, you suddenly understood your role in this rouse.

There he was, Prince Thor of Asgard, striding towards her in the garden, looking this way and that, no doubt looking for the trickster. You swallowed thickly. His eyes landed on you, and as he stepped over to you, you stepped forward to meet him, obscuring his view from the man in the tree.

"Excuse me fair maiden, have you seen a tall, pale man with dark hair go passed this way?" he asked you.

You shook your head. The prince pursed his lips in disappointment.

"I see. I apologise for taking your time maiden. If you should come across the scoundrel, you would be wise to stay away, he is a dangerous fellow. Good day my lady."

You mutely curtsied to the prince, still too shell-shocked to speak, and watched as the golden-haired prince strode from the garden and down another endless hall. You squeaked loudly as the man in the tree jumped down from his hiding spot behind you. You turned to see him grinning at you triumphantly.

"My thanks beautiful lady. You have saved me a world of trouble." He said.

You raised an eyebrow at the man. "The prince said you were a dangerous fellow, and that I should stay away if I saw you."

The man chuckled. "My brother would say that. Long has he been envious of my talents."

Your eyes widened. Brother?!

"T-Then you must be –"

"Loki Odinson, second prince of Asgard. At your service madam." The prince gave an extravagant bow to you.

"I am so sorry Prince Loki, I did not know it was you, forgive me for my rudeness I had no idea!" you cried fearfully.

"There is no need to apologise my fair lady," Loki smiled. "The chance to meet you was my pleasure. You are new to Asgard, yes?"

You nodded.

"Then I gather you must be the Princess of Pannaheim."

"Yes. Nia, Your Highness." You said with a quick curtsey.

"Princess Nia, how lovely to make your acquaintance." Loki bent, and took your hand, bringing it to his lips.

You flushed beet read. "A-And I you Your Highness."

"Please, Loki is fine." Loki said charmingly. "You are to be living in the palace after all, it is only fair we be on first name basis. Would you permit me to escort you back to your room? Dinner will be served soon."

You nodded, and the prince walked you down the hall.

"Tell me, how are you finding Asgard so far?" Loki asked.

"It is very beautiful. And everyone has been very kind to me." You answered truthfully.

"I am glad you like it." Loki smiled. "Would you tell me of your realm Princess? Few in Asgard have travelled to Pannaheim."

"My home is surrounded by a treacherous sea." You said. "Those in Pannaheim live on high peaks, like islands dotted about the ocean. It is often cold due to the breeze coming off the water, and the mists created by the high altitude and the waterfalls that surround our islands."

"A precarious realm indeed. Your people must be quite resilient to flourish in such a place." Loki replied.

"Pannaheim provides what we need if you know what to look for." You smiled. "Sadly I don't get to see much of my homeland."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"The people of Pannaheim rely on wings to travel between islands, hence the name of our realm. But I was born very sickly, and my wings never developed right. They are not strong enough to fly, so my father had me confined to the palace for my safety." You sighed.

Loki nodded in understanding. "My sympathies. But if I may Princess, if your father is so worried for your safety as to confine you to the palace, why has he agreed to let you travel to Asgard for your education?"

"That is a question you will have to ask him. I can only guess it is because I have no need to fly to travel here and would be in no danger from falling into the sea or damaging my wings."

Loki nodded. He bid you farewell when you arrived at your rooms, and you headed in to get ready for dinner. You shed your heavy cloak that hid away your wings from the world, and carefully stretched them out. The purple and blue colour shone dimly in the fading sunlight, but their colour was paler than most wings were, a sign of their sickness. You supposed your interest in healing magic stemmed from the desire to heal your weakened wings. A Princess of Pannaheim that couldn't even fly was a shameful disgrace. Probably another reason why your father had sent you away to Asgard.

You folded up your wings behind your back again and searched your new wardrobe for a suitable gown. You selected a lilac dress, and donned golden sandals with the ensemble. Your new Aesir maids sat you down and tended to your hair and makeup, before you once again donned your cloak and headed out, directed by her maids, to the banquet hall.

The palace had two main dining halls, one for public banquets and celebrations, and one for the royal family to share meals together. It was this dining hall that you made your way to that evening.

"Ah, the fair Princess Nia has joined us. Welcome my dear," Frigga smiled as she entered. "I am under the impression that you have already met my sons, Loki and Thor, earlier this evening."

Thor blinked when he saw you, recognising you from the gardens, before taking in what his mother said and turning to Loki accusingly, to which the raven-haired prince just smirked at him deviously. You swallowed thickly, thinking of Thor's anger at having realized you had tricked him earlier. You were given a seat in between the two princes, much to your discomfort, and the meal began.

"Princess Nia, I did not know your face before, I apologise. It is good to know it now." Thor smiled at her.

You smiled back. "It is alright Prince Thor, you were preoccupied at the time."

"Yes, that was a dirty trick Loki, forcing a fair maiden to lie in your stead." Thor frowned at Loki, who merely shrugged in response.

"It is not hard to fool you brother, and how did you know the princess helped me at all? For all you know I could have happened upon her just before dinner."

"Is that likely though? Knowing you, I think not." Thor replied.

"I am surprised you even had a thought in your head let alone knew how to utilize it." Loki said listlessly.

"Boys, enough." Odin said sternly.

Loki kept his eyes on his food, while Thor nodded in apology and turned to his own food.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to cause such problems." You said sorrowfully.

The princes looked at you in surprise.

"My dear princess you have done nothing wrong, my brother and I merely have our difference is all." Loki said.

"Differences indeed." Thor snorted.

"Yes, like how I prefer to use my head while Thor prefers to beat at the problem until it goes away." Loki retorted.

"If we waited for your head to come up with a solution Loki we all would have died centuries ago." Thor replied.

"Yes quite, just like in Joutenheim when I used my magic to create a smoke screen so we could escape that ambush, while you favoured standing and attacking the overwhelming odds. Or that time in Vanaheim when I flood the river to wash away the enemies supplies while you favoured to attack them head on, or when –"

"You have made your point Loki, enough." Odin cut in.

"Very well father." Loki shrugged.

You turned curiously to Loki. "Have you been in many battles Prince Loki?"

"Thor more so than me. I prefer to avoid senseless violence when possible." Loki replied.

"You are a strategist then." You assessed.

"A strategist?" Loki questioned.

"That is what they are called in my realm. They are warriors of great renown, for their skill is mapping out the battlefield and manipulating the battle just so to get the better of their enemy. Any soldier can fight, but a strategist visualizes his attacks, and is always three steps ahead of his enemy. They are very valuable in my realm, strategy is important for any conflict that occurs on our difficult terrain." You explained. "You have a gift of brilliance Prince Loki."

Loki took in your words, and smiled, almost glowing with pride. Your praise had pleased him, and he looked at you with admiration.

"I thank you for your kind words princess. In Asgard strategists are not valued much. More so warriors like Thor, the strongest and the most enduring, not those who favour magic and diplomacy."

"But strategy is very important, surely Asgard sees the value of such warriors." You argued.

"Asgard has not the need for strategists as Pannaheim does." Thor dismissed. "We overwhelm our enemy with numbers and superior weaponry. We have no need for trickery and words."

"It is magic brother, not trickery." Loki corrected. "And it is of far more value than you seem to think."

Thor merely shrugged. You furrowed your brow slightly as Thor's dismissive nature, but you said nothing as you continued to eat.

"Has your magic won the day often Prince Loki?" you asked curiously, wanting to hear more about the Prince's seidr.

Before Loki could answer, Thor cut in. "Magic alone cannot win a battle, it takes strength of power to win the day."

"Then do tell me about your victories in battle Prince Thor," you said politely.

Thor grinned, and launched into an epic tale of he and his warrior friends, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Almost immediately you regretted asking, for he went on and on about his exploits, and though you nodded politely every now and then, in truth you had stopped listening ages ago. All of Thor's tales seemed to have one thing in common however, and that was himself and emphasising his skill in battle. Listening to the tales you were no doubt sure that Thor was a great warrior, but his self-obsession went beyond battle prowess and moved into arrogance.

Eventually though, the evening moved on and came to an end, with the royals bidding each other goodnight. As you went to leave for your chambers, Val came up behind you and gripped your arm so hard it bruised. You winced as he turned you around to face him.

"Father wants me to remind you as to why you're really here, sister of mine." He said threateningly. "And don't you forget it. Remember, I'll be watching."

He let you go and you scurried off like a frightened rabbit back to your rooms. You even went so far as to seal your doors with magic as you entered your room, shuddering in fear as you got ready for bed. There was a burning message on the desk, the flaming letters spelling out the message from your sister.

 _I hope you have a good time Nia. Write me often okay?_

You smiled and sent the note away, leaving you totally alone in the darkened room. You went to the window and looked out over a beautiful courtyard down below. You didn't feel like sleeping yet, perhaps you could ask one of your maids to retrieve a book for you from the palace library? But you had no particular book in mind, and what if you did not enjoy the one your maid brought for you?

The simple answer was to find it yourself. You rang a bell by your desk that summoned one your Aesir maids to your door, and asked where you could find the library. Once you had the directions, you threw on a thick shawl over your nightgown, and headed out.

Using your seidr to make an orb of light to guide your way, you found the library soon after you left your room. Smiling to yourself, you ducked under the rope at the door and tiptoed into the vast network of books. You explored the shelves, holding up your light orb to read the titles as you walked by. There were just so many to choose from, what would you pick?

Then, a book caught your eye. You picked it up, and discovered it was about Asgardian history. Intrigued, you took your book and looked for a place to sit and read it. There was a small balcony with a cushioned seat on it nearby, and you sat down in the moonlight, looking over the glittering city and getting into a comfortable position to read.

You were up to the section explaining the creation of the Bifrost Bridge when your orb lost power, and went out, leaving you to read in the moonlight alone. You were very tired, having used too much magic for too long, so you let your seidr replenish and continued to read by moonlight.

"The Bifrost is made of stardust?" you read out loud. "How is that possible?"

"They say the first All-Father captured the stars themselves and tore the heart from them." A voice said.

You yelped in surprise, dropping your book as you quickly sat up and spun around to the sound of the voice.

"P-Prince Loki!" you cried. "I – I am sorry, I did not hear you."

"There is no need to apologise, I am only sorry I gave you such a fright." Loki bent and picked up the book, setting it gently back into your hands. "Enjoying a night read Princess?"

You nodded. "I – I should not be here, I'm not supposed to go anywhere without an escort – and the library is closed. I'm sorry, I will go back to bed –"

Loki cut you off by holding up his hand. You silenced.

"There is no need for that sweet princess. You are not unescorted, for I am here am I not?" he grinned wolfishly. "And there is no law forbidding you from entering the library when you choose, so there is no harm done, yes?"

You nodded impishly, your hands gripping the book a little harder than needed. You still felt in the wrong. Loki's grin faded at your silence.

"Forgive me for disturbing you Princess, I have frightened you. Do not be upset because of me, I merely wished to join you." He said humbly.

"Join me?" you tilted your head to one side curiously. "How did you know I was even here?"

Loki ducked his head slightly, as though embarrassed.

"I had, in fact, come by your rooms. Your maid informed me of where you went, and so here I came. Then I saw your light, and heard your voice."

"You came to my rooms? Why? Is there something wrong?" you asked urgently.

"No, nothing of the sort." Loki said soothingly. "I had wished to possibly steal your company for a little longer, we did not get much time to talk at dinner if you recall."

"I do. Prince Thor was telling me about his victories in battle." You paused, and frowned. "He talks very much about himself."

Loki chuckled quietly. "He does that, yes. Am I to assume you were not overly interested in his prattling?"

You opened your mouth to lie, and say you were very interested in anything the prince had to say, but something in Loki's expression made you feel like you could tell the truth, for once, without fear of repercussions.

"Not at all." You replied.

Loki's smile widened at your answer.

"I was wanting to hear more about your magical abilities, but I never got the chance when I had asked Prince Thor about his." You said.

"Truly? Not many are interested in the magical arts." Loki looked surprised, and in response you held up your hand, and willed your orb of light to return.

A look of understanding washed over Loki's face, and he smiled.

"You wield the seidr as well,"

You smiled, and nodded. "My mother taught me. What she could anyway, women of my realm are not permitted to develop their seidr beyond the basics."

Loki frowned. "An utterly ridiculous rule. You have a gift, you should be allowed to use it to its fullest potential."

You shrugged. "Things are different on Pannaheim."

"I am quickly discovering that, yes." Loki said disapprovingly. "But you are on Asgard now, and here women are permitted to do anything a man is. I could teach you to hone your powers, if you wish."

Your eyes widened. "You would teach me?"

Loki smiled. "Of course. It is not often that I find such a beautiful woman with a gift like yours, too often those with seidr squander what they have been born with, like my brother."

"Your brother was born with magic?"

Loki nodded. "He was trained, like I was, when we were children, but he has never used it, and over time he lost the ability altogether."

"I was not aware one _could_ lose their seidr," you said.

"Only those of Asgard. We were not born to the seidr like your people or the Vanir. My mother is of Vanaheim, and it is from her my brother and I inherited the gift. Inherited seidr must be actively kept up or it disappears. Natural affinity like your own do not require constant practise to keep."

"My people all rely on some level of seidr to fly. It is said our seidr is our very essence, that which keeps my people alive." You said.

"The Fae are remarkable people to live with the very essence of magic in their veins." Loki replied. "If only my brother saw the value of such magic."

"He seems…very dismissive of things he does not agree with." You admitted.

"He is a fool. I fear for his reign as king," Loki brooded. "But that is not for me to decide. What of your own brother Princess? Does he fare better as Crown Prince than mine?"

You hesitated to answer. But you trusted Loki, for some reason you felt you could tell him anything.

"I honestly do not know. I do not see my brother much. He is always busy or away with our father. My sister and I never saw much of the men in our family."

"You have a sister?" Loki asked.

You nodded. "A twin, Lia. She just got married to the prince of Vanaheim."

"Ah yes, I remember the event. It was the talk of the court for a while." Loki said. "You must miss her."

"Very much." You sighed. "She was my best friend, we spoke about everything. Add to that with my mother's dead and I…I just feel so alone."

"Well my dear Princess, please consider me as a friend." Loki said with a slight bow. "I would be honoured to relieve you of your loneliness while you are part of my kingdom's court."

You smiled warmly. "You are very kind Prince Loki, thank you."

Loki smiled, and held out his hand to you. You took it, and he helped you to your feet.

"To you, sweet princess, I am simply Loki. At your eternal service." He said softly.

You glanced down bashfully, biting your lip with nerves. You looked back up at the prince, and felt butterflies in your stomach.

"Then I am just Nia, at your service." You smiled.

Loki kissed the back of your hand, without breaking eye contact with you. You felt heat rush to your cheeks.

"I would love to steal the pleasure of your company longer, but it is getting very late, and I would not wish for you to be ill-rested come the morrow."

You felt a flash of warmth over your body, and when you glanced around, you saw you were standing outside your door again.

"I bid you goodnight, and sweet dreams." Loki said, finally releasing your hand. "Have a pleasant rest, Nia."

"Thank you, and goodnight to you too, Loki." You breathed.

With a smile and a wave of his hand, Loki was gone in a mirage of golden light. You had to ask him how to do that. You looked down to see the book you had been reading still in your hand, and so you took it with you into your rooms, setting it on the bedside table as you got into bed.

You went to sleep with a smile on your face, thinking of the raven-haired prince and his dazzling smile.

-o-


	2. Chapter 2

You spent a great majority of the morning in the kitchens. Partly because you didn't wish to endure breakfast with your family, or Thor's non-stop talking, and partly because you wanted to get to know the staff that run the palace. You sent your regrets to the royals, saying you had taken ill this morning, hoping that would satisfy your father.

Back home you knew all the servants, and while the palace of Asgard had twice as many as your own castle, you wanted to get to know as many as you could during your stay. You preferred the company of ordinary people to that of nobility anyhow, nobles were always so full of pretence and it put you ill at ease.

"Here you go Princess, a raspberry tart for a little after-breakfast snack." The head cook, Mira, smiled warmly as she pushed a plate of dessert into your hands.

"Thank you Mira," you beamed.

The elder woman winked at you. "Anytime dearie. Also, the Queen wishes you to spend lunch with her, she sent word for me to tell you to meet her in the gardens after your morning lessons."

You blinked. "How does she know –"

"You're here?" Mira smirked. "The All-Mother knows everything that goes on in this palace."

You swallowed. "Everything?"

Mira laughed. "She is not the All-Mother for nothing! Now off you go dear, your lessons will begin soon, you should get going to the Academy."

You nodded and stood, brushing off your gown you hurried out of the kitchen and along the golden halls. The Academy was a large marble building off the west-wing of the palace. You saw an array of golden-haired Asgardian women milling about the grounds as you entered the gates, all beautiful and slender and very intimidating. You felt so ordinary in comparison.

You hurried along and entered the building, making your way down the marble corridor. The women who attended this prestigious academy attended etiquette classes in groups, but you were a princess, so you were to receive private instruction.

You reached the end of the corridor and stepped into the classroom, seeing another young woman inside.

"Oh, hello." She smiled. "You must be Princess Nia. Welcome. I am Princess Shiara of Vanaheim."

"Pleased to meet you. What is a Princess of Vanaheim doing on Asgard?" you asked as you took a seat next to the other princess.

Shiara giggled. "I could ask the same of a Princess of Pannaheim."

You smiled at the bubbly princess.

"My brother recently married your sister, so I'm sent here to finish my schooling and make myself a desirable wife. I assume your father has a similar path in mind for you."

You remembered your father's dark words the day before you set off for Asgard, and shivered.

"Yes, something of the like."

Shiara put an arm around you. "Don't worry, everything will turn out okay."

You smiled, feeling encouraged from Shiara's sunny personality. That feeling, of course, left you the moment your instructor turned up. She was an elderly woman with an eye like a hawk, you felt yourself shrink under her gaze, and even Shiara's almost unnatural glow seemed to fade.

She edged closer to you, and whispered. "This is going to be a long day."

You couldn't help but agree.

After a gruelling morning of etiquette and posture lessons, you made your way to the palace gardens to join Queen Frigga. Why she had asked you to accompany her and not someone like Shiara was a mystery to you, you weren't anything special.

As you rounded a corner and saw you had ended up on a terrace, you realised you were very lost. You must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Sighing in irritation, you went to turn back, when a figure caught your eye.

Loki was sprawled on a settee, reading a large tome. You were tempted to go over to him, but you really didn't want to keep the Queen waiting. But, you _were_ lost. Surely a detour to ask for directions would be fine.

"Loki?"

So engrossed was he in his book, Loki didn't hear your approach, and your sudden voice made him jump in fright, nearly falling off his chair. You gasped.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

Loki looked up and saw you, and smiled at your worried expression.

"It's all right Nia," he chuckled as he got up. "I was deaf to the rest of the world, you couldn't have known your voice would shock me so. I suppose it's only fair since I scared you last night,"

"I suppose." You smiled hesitantly. "It must be an interesting read if you're so engrossed in it."

"Indeed, it is a field of study I have not entered before, and it has quickly captured my attention." Loki said, bending to pick up the fallen tome.

You caught the title as he placed the book on the settee, and your eyes widened as you noticed the book's subject.

"The Fae?" you asked.

Loki ducked his head somewhat shyly, an embarrassed smile on his face.

"I was wanting to learn more about your people." He admitted.

"Why so fascinated by the Fae?"

"I admit, in my youngers years I did not give much thought to your people. We of Asgard, rather ashamedly, think of the Fae as somewhat lesser. As an adult I understood this notion was folly, and yet I did not correct my teachings of your people until we met, and our brief talks sparked my drive to learn more."

Loki paused, looking away, his expression pensive, as though he were gathering his thoughts. He turned back to you and continued.

"You are…remarkable, Nia. I wished to discover if it were like that for all your people, or if you were just as unique as I believed you to be." A blush covered Loki's face as you stared, your mouth hanging open of its own accord.

" _I'm_ remarkable?" you said dubiously. "Have you not mistaken me for someone else Loki? I am no one special."

"You do not see yourself as you are dear Nia." Loki said. "It is regretful that you have such an image of yourself."

You frowned. "What other image of myself should I have?"

"The truth." Loki answered.

"And that is?"

"I aim to find out." Loki grinned slightly. "I hope to have more time in your company to get to know you better. And I admit I'd…rather hoped you may have a similar desire towards me."

You smiled slowly. "I can see myself wanting to know more about you."

Loki smiled bashfully. "I am honoured. To have the company of any beautiful maiden is a gift, but to have yours is a blessing."

You flushed, your hands coming up to hide the flattered grin that made its own way across your face. Loki saw it anyway despite your efforts, and chuckled softly.

"But forgive me for my rudeness, I have not asked what brought you here. I would not presume it was to find me."

"Actually, I am a little lost." You admitted, feeling embarrassed. "I am supposed to meet Queen Frigga in the gardens for lunch, but I am afraid I have lost my way."

"This palace is daunting to those unused to its halls." Loki said understandably. "I will help you find your way."

"Thank you." You smiled.

"I think I will join you and my mother for lunch, if it pleases you Nia, we missed you at breakfast on the morn." Loki said as he lead you away.

"I would like that very much," you beamed up at the prince. "I had missed your company this morning too."

He chuckled softly at the blush on your cheeks.

"I heard you had taken ill this morning, are you well now?" Loki asked.

"That may have been…stretching the truth somewhat." You admitted. "I was well, but I was…not in the disposition to sit with my family."

"I am beginning to grow concerned for you my dear, whenever your family is mentioned, you seem to…dim almost. Have you had an unhappy life Nia?" Loki frowned.

"I – no! I mean, my life has been normal I assume, no different to your own upbringing I imagine." You said quickly.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "My childhood has been filled with being compared to Thor, never being as good as him, and growing into a spiteful misfit that messes with the chambermaids while Thor plays king and I stand in his shadow. Does yours compare?"

You opened your mouth to answer, before you paused in thought. That…did actually seem remarkably similar. You told Loki so.

"My brother Val, he is the only child in my father's eyes." You said. "No matter what he did, he was always praised, even for wrongdoing, never blamed for anything, always told he was destined for greatness. My father did not value myself and Lia as much but…"

"But?" Loki pressed.

"But even still…Lia was more of a daughter to be proud of than me." You said softly. "Lia always did as she was told, never spoke out of place, excelled at her classes and was the perfect princess. I liked to explore and to read and wanted to learn magic, I would ask questions all the time, add to that my inability to fly, I was never considered…good enough. When father made a marriage deal with Vanaheim, he offered us both for the prince to choose from seeing as we were the same age. The prince, I am told, took one look at me, and immediately chose my sister. We are twins but we look nothing alike, Lia is most beautiful, like our mother, while I am no beauty."

"Nia, no. You are most beautiful." Loki stopped you and held you gently by your shoulders, making you look up into his eyes. "Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool beyond measure. You are a beauty the envy of any woman, you are kind and brave and intelligent. You may not be able to fly, but that is no measure of any faults on your part. You have grace and kindness like that of my mother, and that tells me you are a perfect princess."

Your eyes welled with tears as your face broke into a shaky but beaming smile. Without meaning to you leaned in towards Loki and rested your head against his chest as you let yourself cry. Loki simply held you to him, gently stroking your hair and murmuring softly to you, though you could not understand the words.

"No one has ever said such things to me before." You said after you had calmed and pulled away from the prince.

"It should have been said a long time ago." Loki replied. "And I will tell you everyday for as long as I know you, so you never forget. You are worthy of the universe my dear, sweet Nia, never forget that."

"You're so kind to me…" you mumbled, wiping your tear-stained cheeks with your hand. "No one's ever been so kind to me. Thank you, your kindness means a lot to me."

"It is easy to be kind to you." Loki smiled, offering his arm to you.

You took it, and you both continued on your journey.

"A more cheerful subject perhaps?" Loki suggested. "Tell me of your mornings lessons, how was your first day?"

"Hardly a more cheerful topic." You said teasingly. "Shiara and I endured hours of posture lessons, strapped to chairs to keep our backs straight. On Pannaheim we sit in hanging chairs, so the sitting etiquette of this realm is difficult for me to grasp."

Loki chuckled. "So you have met Princess Shiara, at least you did not have to endure that alone."

"Do you know her?" you asked, your interest suddenly piqued.

"Not well. She has been living here for only a few months. She keeps to herself, outside of formal events and our initial introduction I have not seen much of her." Loki replied. "She spends more time with Thor than I."

"You sound resentful of that Loki." You said.

"Perhaps I am." Loki sighed, looking embarrassed to even admit that to you. "But it is to be expected, everyone – women especially – prefer Thor to me. I am…used to it."

"That's not fair." You frowned. "And…very familiar."

"We have that in common," Loki smiled slightly. "At least you and your sister still have a good relationship, despite everything. My brother and I cannot say the same."

"Surely there must be things the two of you share,"

"I love my brother, I do. How could I not? He is my brother. I have no doubt Thor feels the same, it is merely…sibling rivalry I suppose. As for things we share, we do not have a lot in common. We may bicker, but when it comes down to it we will be there for each other. I just wish…" Loki broke away with a sigh.

"That you got along better?" you finished carefully.

Loki nodded. "Alas, that will never happen. We are too different. But I have accepted this truth – I may not like it, but I have accepted it."

You opened your mouth to say something to console the prince, but you were distracted by Queen Frigga calling to you in greeting, and you realised you had made it to the gardens. You smiled and curtsied to the Queen, and Loki released your arm as you sat down.

"So kind of you to join us Loki. Can I assume you are the reason Princess Nia was a little late to our meeting?" Frigga said teasingly.

"Mother I'm hurt." Loki said in tone of mock-hurt. "What kind of scoundrel do you take me for? I merely accompanied Nia, for she had gotten lost in the halls."

"Does he speak the truth my dear? You can be honest, it is all right." Frigga turned to you, a smile on her face.

You nodded. "Loki was kind enough to help me find my way. He was nothing but a gentleman I promise."

"Ah the fair princess comes to my rescue yet again!" Loki grinned, extravagantly taking your hand and kissing the back of it, making you giggle.

Frigga smiled. "It is good to see you two getting along so well. Loki I have not seen you smile so much in a very long time,"

"Nonsense mother, I am always full of cheer." Loki shrugged.

"A clever lie my son, but you cannot fool me." Frigga chuckled.

"'Twas not that clever." You said.

"You wound me Nia," Loki pouted. "I say never recover from such slander."

You laughed. "My, what thin skin the God of Mischief has!"

"Only because the Princess of Pannaheim has such remarkable cunning." Loki smiled at you, making you blush and look away momentarily.

You caught Frigga looking at the two of you knowingly, a small smile on her face as she sipped at her tea.

You spent a few hours in the gardens, speaking with Frigga and firing jokes at Loki, and you found the more you spent there, the more comfortable you grew. Your brother was nowhere in sight, and your father wasn't glaring at you, there was nothing but Loki's teasing and Frigga's kind smile.

By the time Frigga was called away to a council meeting and bid you farewell, you were smiling more than you ever had in your life. Loki walked you back to your rooms, on the pretence that he didn't want you to get lost again, but you had other ideas on his reasons.

"May I see you again later?" Loki asked you as he left you at your door. "I admit, I cannot get enough of your company."

You smiled, and nodded. "Of course Loki. I would love that."

Loki smiled, looking pleased with himself. "Then meet me by the Bifrost bridge tonight, there is something beyond the city I would very much like to show you."

Excitement bubbled up inside you. What adventures would the prince take you on?

"Very well my mysterious prince," you said teasingly.

He chuckled, and leaned in to gently kiss your cheek. "Until then, my beautiful princess."

Using his seidr to vanish before your eyes, you found yourself staring at where he once stood, smiling to yourself. You sighed contently. You could get used to living on Asgard.

Your moment of happiness was broken by the sudden appearance of your brother in front of your eyes. You gasped in shock. Where had he come from? How long had he been there?

"You and the second prince seem _very_ friendly sister of mine." Val said accusingly.

"I – I – "

Val gripped you by your shoulders, forcing you back against the door. The handle dug into your back painfully, but he ignored your wince.

"You, are spoken for already. Aren't you dear Nia? We wouldn't want him getting the wrong impression, would we sister?" Val growled. "I suggest you discourage the foolish prince."

"I…am not spoken for." You managed to gasp through the pain.

Val's face darkened. His grip tightened and you whined in pain.

"That is because you are useless, and couldn't attract a man if your life depended on it. Let's test that shall we? If your life was on the line, how would you fare I wonder? Do you want that?"

"N-No!" you whimpered.

"Then I suggest you get to the job you were meant to do. Or else." With a final push into the door, Val released you and stalked away, leaving you alone.

Breathing heavily, you sank to the floor against the door, and felt involuntary tears spill down your cheeks. You were so very tired.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's like a fairytale," Lia giggled. "The lovely maiden sneaking out into the middle of the night with her prince,"

You blushed deeply, pausing in braiding your hair to shush your sister, lest your brother was listening. Lia covered her mouth with her hand, but she continued to giggle. The enchanted mirror that stood on the table allowed you to speak with your dear twin, her dainty face filling the frame. Lia had sent the mirror from Vanaheim, a gift from her new husband so she would not miss her beloved sister. It seemed an advantageous marriage indeed.

"I wonder what he intends to show you," Lia said in hushed tones. "Will he confess his love?"

"Lia!" You hissed. "Do not be ridiculous. We have only just met, it is far too early for that."

"But he seems quite taken with you. And you with him~" Lia teased.

"Hush now, I will be late otherwise."

"Have fun! Tell me all about it tomorrow!"

"I will." You smiled, and waved away the magic from the mirror.

Donning a thick cloak, you covered your head with your hood, and headed out of your room. Looking this way, and that, making sure not a soul was around, you hurried on out and down the hallway, your footsteps pattering quietly along the tile.

Your brother's threat echoed in the back of your mind, but you did your best to quash your fear and keep going; looking over your shoulder all the way.

Loki was already there by the time you reached the Bifrost. You couldn't help the beaming smile that spread across your face at seeing him. He smiled at you in return, and took your hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing your knuckles in greeting.

"You came." He smiled. "I feared you would not."

"And leave you waiting here in the dark, alone? Never."

He smiled at that. "Come, I have something to show you."

Excitedly, he led you by the hand down a secret path. You giggled, wondering where he was taking you. Down a spiralling stone staircase you went below the surface, coming to an underground cave, the entrance hidden by thick vines.

With a wave of his hand, Loki moved the vines to the side, and lead you in. what was revealed in the cave, was a secret garden. You gasped at the beauty surrounding you. The cave was filled with watery mist from the underground waterfall running down one wall, creating a beautiful stream surrounded by lush greens and flowers. Moonlight shone through the cracks in the roof, bringing life to the moonflowers below, the gentlest of breezes let through the entrance making the trees sway and sigh.

"Spirits…this place is so beautiful…" you breathed.

"This is where I go when I need to escape everything. Apart from the library, it's the place I feel the most comfortable in Asgard. I wanted to share it with you." Loki said.

You turned to him, bewilderment on your face. "Why would you share such a treasure with me?"

"Because you are also a treasure," Loki replied with a soft smile. "You may come here whenever you like, this garden is yours now."

"Oh, Loki I…" tears of happiness spilled from your eyes, and you threw your arms around him in a tight hug.

It was hardly appropriate behaviour for a princess, but as Loki's arms came to wrap around your waist, and your head found its place against his shoulder, you decided that in this moment, you couldn't care less. This was the happiest you'd ever been since your mother died – or ever, really, if you were honest with yourself – and you never wanted the moment to end.

"I take it you like it?" was Loki's amused response by the time the two of you pulled away from each other.

You laughed merrily. "I love it! It's just like home!"

You spun around to explore the garden, picking the beautiful purple and white flowers, and removing your slippers to feel the grass and moss beneath your feet. You discovered a hanging cocoon-like chair swinging from a tree and beamed at Loki, who shrugged humbly, knowing he had put it there for you. You sat by the creek, smelling the flowers in your hands, and dipping your feet into the water. Loki came to sit beside you, and began to gently thread the flowers through your hair.

"You're good at this," you said, watching your reflections in the water.

"Sif and I used to do this to Thor's hair when we were children." Loki grinned. "Usually when he was asleep, he hated it so much, but he never suspected Sif was involved. He only ever blamed me."

"That's not fair," you frowned. "My sister used to do the same thing with my brother, and I always got the blame for that too."

"Ha. Who would have thought we'd have so much in common?" Loki mused. "There. Done. Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." You admired your hair in the reflection of the water, swishing about your hair and watching the light reflect off the flowers. "The moonlight is so lovely, it reminds me of home so much."

"Do you miss it? Pannaheim?"

"Less and less lately, I like Asgard." You replied. "And this place is a nice slice of home; the moonlight strengthens my people and enhances our magic. I used to try and fly in my chambers during the full moon, hoping the moon would heal my wings enough to lift me off the ground. It never worked, but it became a sort of tradition I suppose. I still do it even now."

"Tonight is a full moon," Loki observed. "Maybe with your magic and mine combined, your wings could fly?"

You hesitated. Your father would be furious if he knew you were trying to fly with your sickly wings. But he wasn't here, and how would he know? It was worth a shot. Loki would catch you if you fell. So you nodded.

"All right, let's try."

You stood, and removed your cloak, slowly stretching out your mauve wings so that the moonlight touched them. Loki's eyes roamed the length of your wings, eyes wide with wonder. You suddenly felt very shy.

"They're more beautiful than I imagined." Loki murmured to himself.

"You imagined them?" you queried.

He went red, realising he had spoken aloud. "I – I may have been curious, yes." He admitted.

You giggled, feeling better knowing he was shy too. "Well thank you, you flatter me far too much."

"I'm certainly trying." Loki grinned, regaining his composure. He gestured to your wings. "May I?"

You nodded. As gentle as feathers, Loki ran his fingertips over your wings, tingling magic spreading through them. You felt invigorated like you never had before, like a jolt of energy hit you straight in the heart. You experimentally flapped your wings, and seeing no negative reaction, you began to flutter them.

You yelped when you felt your feet slightly raise from the ground, and your wings paralysed with your sudden fear. With a thud your feet planted firmly on the ground, and you looked to Loki fearfully.

He took your hands to calm you. "You're doing fine Nia. I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you I swear it."

You swallowed thickly, and nodded, trusting him at his words. You tried to flap your wings again. You took a sharp breath when your feet began to lift again, and tightened your grip on Loki's hands, but you continued to flutter. You squeezed your eyes shut, concentrating on moving your wings and nothing else, your grip on Loki anchoring you to the ground.

Then, you heard him chuckle.

"Open your eyes dear Nia." He said.

You uncertainly opened your eyes, to see you were hovering above Loki, a few metres off the ground. You gasped, looking back at your wings flapping strongly. You began to smile.

"I…I'm flying! I'm really flying! I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it!" you cried.

You let go of Loki's hands, and hovered in mid-air, slowly moving direction to spin in a circle. You squealed at the weightless feeling in your body, but you soon became dizzy of fluttering in circles, and came down to the ground, leaping into Loki's arms happily.

"Thank you! Thank you thank you _thank you!"_ you squealed.

"I merely helped, you did the hard work on your own." Loki smiled. "But, I am truly glad to have made you smile so Nia, you are most beautiful when you smile."

Your heart skipped a beat as you looked up at him, and you reached up as he leaned down, and he pressed his lips to yours.


End file.
